- Icelandic economic situation puts Iceland as a value destination in the spotlight

Iceland’s leading airline, Icelandair, has seen an increase in UK sales over the past year since the Icelandic economic situation has brought increased attention to the destination.

Travellers are flocking to Iceland due to the favourable currency exchange rate for UK visitors which has also been confirmed by the Lonely Planet World Travel Guide choosing Iceland as the 2010 best value destination for 2010.

“It seems that in the middle of the media interest we have been able to communicate the fact that this is a great time to visit Iceland, because as a traveller you simply get more for your money than ever before”, says Birkir Holm Gudnason, CEO of Icelandair.

Hjorvar Saeberg Hognason, General Manager UK, added, “If you compare what a pound got you on 1st February 2008 to 1st February 2010, you see an increase of 57%, so you can see why UK passengers are heading to Iceland in droves to experience the breathtaking nature and enjoy activities like searching for the northern lights. Whale watching season is just around the corner so we hope to see many travellers heading over to see the whales and amazing birdlife.”

Last week Icelandair added another three percent to its flight schedule, which was already ten percent up from last year, as a reaction to the rising interest in Iceland tourism.

Icelandair is one of Iceland’s longest established companies, connecting the world and Iceland for over 70 years.
For more information on Icelandair and to book flights visit www.icelandair.com

- Iceland Northern Lights City Break includes flights, three nights accommodation + Northern Lights tour from £269.

The Northern Lights are at their peak activity levels through the end of March in Iceland and to provide UK travellers with an affordable way to see this natural wonder, Icelandair is pleased to offer the Northern Lights City Break. This holiday package includes flights from London Heathrow, Manchester or Glasgow, three nights accommodation and Northern Lights tour from £269*.

The Northern Lights tour takes place the evening following the day of arrival and is operated by Reykjavik Excursions. Passengers are picked up at their hotel and driven to an area outside of Reykjavik to search for the natural phenomenon. Every tour is different since the leader takes the group to the area where they are most likely to see the lights that day based on weather. The tour generally lasts three hours and makes for an exciting evening out exploring the rugged Icelandic wilderness.

In addition to the tour, the Northern Lights City Break provides free days to enjoy exploring Reykjavik, relaxing at the Blue Lagoon or enjoying one of Iceland’s many winter activities. Plus, due to the exchange rate, Iceland has not been as cheap as it currently is in decades, so now is the time to travel to this winter wonderland. In fact, Lonely Planet recently named Iceland one of its Top 10 Value Destinations for 2010.

The offer is good through 31st March 2010 travel. It must be booked online at www.icelandair.co.uk by 31st January. Hotel upgrades are available at an extra cost. Icelandair is one of Iceland’s longest established companies, connecting the world and Iceland for over 70 years.

For immediate release: Latest news from the oneworld airline alliance:

Tumi chief gives tips on smart packing for business travel in latest oneworld video

20 November 2009

The head of one of the world’s leading travel and accessories brands reveals his top packing recommendations in the latest video tips from oneworld®, the leading quality airline alliance.

Jerome Griffith, Chief Executive of Tumi, shares his six best secrets for smart packing in the latest in the oneworld travel series of 60 to 90-second videos, called "The Business of Packing".

Drawing from his own personal experiences, he advises business travellers:Packing smart can make all the difference in your travel experience.Pick the right bag for your destination.Opt for multi-task or stackable bags.Packing collapsible extra bags makes extending your trip easier.Modularise your suitcase.Always carry cordless chargers.

In summary, he says: "Keeping your travel technology as up-to-date as your business technology is essential in making your business travel as easy and efficient as possible."

The oneworld Travel Series of mini-videos is packed with advice and tips for business travelers from some of the world’s leading travel experts, produced in formats ideal for viewing on-line through your laptop, smartphone, iPod or PDA.

All are available in English and most in Spanish and Italian too.

oneworld Commercial Director Filip Lemmens said:

The aim of oneworld’s Travel Series is very simple – to increase awareness of oneworld and our member airlines among travellers – particularly those flying on business – in a way that is innovative and stands out from competition.

They videos enable us to illustrate the personal and meaningful quality service oneworld and our member airlines provide to our customers at every stage of their journey – in a completely different manner from traditional advertising.

Everyone has to pack something before they travel on business or holiday – and getting advice from one of the world’s leading luggage experts could smooth their journeys still further."

Tumi’s Jerome Griffith added: Creating this video together with oneworld was a natural fit for us. I personally have been associated with Tumi products and the oneworld airlines for more than 20 years.

Both companies continue to elevate the standards in the industry;

The initial five oneworld Travel Series videos, produced in conjunction with leading travel information provider Lonely Planet and presented by Lonely Planet experts including its founder Tony Wheeler and anchorwoman for its television shows Asha Gill, each looked at a specific challenge for the frequent business traveler:Going Local – how to find your way around in foreign and unfamiliar places.Road Warrior – a guide to staying wired, mobile and working while traveling.Stress Busters – how to reduce stress, keep fit and enjoy yourself on a business trip.Saving Time – six tips to save time through new digital and travel services when on the road. Pack It In – how to travel light, pack smart and leave nothing behind.

A seventh video focuses on oneworld itself, as seen through the eyes of a typical business traveller, to show how the quality of the alliance’s member airlines and the services and benefits it offers can make global business travel less stressful and more rewarding and enjoyable.

This has now been updated to reflect latest developments at oneworld, including this month’s addition of Mexicana, the leading airline in Mexico and Central America.

You can view the videos – or download them – at www.oneworld.com/ow/news-and-information/oneworld-travel-series or at http://tumi.liveclicker.com/v/3000/tumi-the-business-of-packing/

About oneworld

oneworld brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business – American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN, Malév Hungarian Airlines, Mexicana, Qantas and Royal Jordanian, and around 20 affiliates including American Eagle, Dragonair, LAN Argentina, LAN Ecuador and LAN Peru.

Russia’s S7 Airlines will join the alliance in 2010.

Between them, these airlines serve almost 750 airports in nearly 150 countries, with some 8,500 daily departures, carrying some 330 million passengers a year.

The alliance enables its members to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own.

These include a broader route network, opportunities to earn and redeem frequent flyer miles and points across the combined oneworld network and more airport lounges.

oneworld also offers more alliance fares than any of its competitors.

oneworld was voted the World’s Leading Airline Alliance for the seventh year running in the latest (2009) World Travel Awards.

It is the only winner of this award since it was introduced in 2003.